Do not hide behind anger
by hagnes
Summary: AL slash Be warned!: Passion, pain, misery, misunderstandings. Also some hope
1. Why Can't I Understand?

**A/N: This was my very first story as ff writer, so it's quite old. 6 years is a long time, but I managed to get myself to work and redo it at last. Writing in progress, end in sight. **

**Lots of praise for my beta**** PH03N1X 50NG, who was so quick in checking and giving advice – and I have to admit it was LOTS of work. **

**THANK YOU so much for until now!**

**Warning: ** explicit slash scenes later on, some swearing. Aragorn was never supposed to be a king in this story.

I don't own anything from LoTR.

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**Do Not Hide Behind Anger**

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Chapter 1

Why Can't I Understand?

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Legolas was furious. In fact, he was more than that. He was absolutely livid, so much so, that his every move was like fire. He wanted to win this fight. Aragorn simply did not understand him anymore. What was wrong with his friend? What was different from before? What made him so wild, so unmanageable?

He had just asked the elf questions. And now they were fighting.

"Legolas..." Aragorn said had jumping back before the elf could cut into his flesh. "Legolas! What's wrong with you? I thought you wanted to kill the orcs, not me!"

Legolas held still for a moment, his ever so fiery eyes never leaving the man as if he searched for any movement – an attack to block – which could easily cost him his immortality. With still narrowed eyes, he let his arms fall to his sides.

Aragorn scanned the elf's face. He was so still and looked so lost. His cheeks were flushed with heat from the effort of the fight, his chest lifting and falling rapidly. Sweat covered every inch of his skin. He was so beautiful, so perfect... But he looked so alone at that moment.

Then Legolas flashed him a little smile. Aragorn knew this fake expression as he had seen his friend use it often lately.

"I am sorry, my friend," Aragorn apologized. "I did not know you would get so upset from trying your strength on an old fellow."

Legolas tried to brighten up, but he failed miserably; his smile never reached its owner's eyes. Aragorn did not like this forced cheerfulness. The elf was hiding something, something he thought the man may not be able to handle.

Because if it was not so, Legolas would tell him.

He surely would. Actually...he may have done it before. When they had fight to protect the one ring. Side by side and not against each other. But now? Something was utterly wrong. Were they still friends?

He believed so. But why was Legolas treating him like a stranger now? Or worse, an enemy.

"I only asked if something is bothering your heart. But when you said you needed to expel some of your spare energy, I did not think you would fight me like I was evil. We did not come here to battle each other but to seek out the area where the greatest numbers of orcs could hide. As you know very well, we cannot rest until these forests are safe to walk again."

"You do not have to tell me that," came the angry retort. "I am an elf and I understand these needs better than any man ever could!" Legolas told him in a suddenly cold voice.

'There it is.' Aragorn thought to himself. 'He is angry again. What can I say to him that will not infuriate him like that? What happened to his old self?'

There he was again with questions he could not answer and it was clear that Legolas would not answer them fort him either. He had been so eager for the elf to tell him what was wrong. But when it came time to Legolas to answer, Aragorn never seemed to get through to the truth.

'Why would there be something wrong?'

'Do not worry, I am well.'

'Why are you asking me this?'

Aragorn had had enough of this and decided he would not ask anymore.

Until that day.

"Shall we continue?" Legolas urged as he held no answer for his outburst.

"I will not do this anymore." Aragorn said calmly. "I have grown tired of your moods. Tell me what is wrong. We could wake the entire forest as well as all the orcs if we carried on like this."

"But that was our purpose, I believed." the elf told him. "We came here to find out where they are hidden and what kind of other creatures they have gathered with. Lord Elrond gave us the command himself."

"Even though that is true, there could be more than the two of us can handle. We are on our own here by the feet of these mountains and there are several caves and secret places..."

"Why do you think you have to tell me that?" the elf cut him short again. "I am not some foolish youth you have to teach what to do." He turned away from Aragorn and started to walk in the direction of the nearby stream, surly.

'Not this time!' Aragorn swore. Now he was angry himself. He tried to be patient with Legolas, but he also had his limits. He followed after the now absent elf, intending to teach him a lesson, finally. 'If he is not a child, then he should stop behaving like one! I think a good spanking would do him well.'

Aragorn found Legolas kneeling by the water, with his back still turned to the man. His face was leaning into his palms, clear water running from between his fingers. He was obviously cooling himself off.

As the man tried hard to come up with an idea on how to approach the other his eyes sized up the lean and toned body. Legolas' hair was like a pale golden river and it made Aragorn wonder what it would feel like to have it flow in his hands, to let it brush against his own skin... His eyes moved lower. He let a small sigh escape. He had watched the elven features for so long now. There were even times when he believed Legolas would notice.

And may return his feelings.

When he realized that he had fallen hard for Legolas, he did not intend to ignore it. But his love refused him. His actions were unconscious, perhaps, but that was what Legolas was doing. When Aragorn tried to talk to him the elf got angry with him.

Could he have realized how the man felt and hated him because of that? True, he was only a human and maybe not good enough for the other's kind. But still, it hurt.

So usually, when he was with Legolas, he did his best to stay calm and tried not to think about how his body yearned for the other's touch.

Now he was lingering behind the elf and doing what he was now so good at since Legolas turned from him both physically and emotionally – watching that back.

The silence was uncomfortable. He had to say something. He opened his mouth, but no sound come out. He decided to close it again and lowered his eyes from the elf to the ground. Things you could not have were just too painful to even look at sometimes.

Legolas lifted his head abruptly and grew completely still. Aragorn was back from his thoughts, too, in an instant. The forest around the two seemed somehow too quiet. Legolas stood without delay and they exchanged a silent message with their eyes.

The ground underneath him was cold and raw. He opened his eyes, but still could not escape the darkness. It surrounded him, just like the pain which was slowly creeping down his spine. His back was aching badly, as if somebody had hit it with great force.

'What happened?' Legolas was trying to remember desperately. 'Aragorn...?' His eyes fluttered closed and he fell into unconsciousness again.

When he woke the second time, he was at the same place. This time he stayed awake.

Aragorn! Where was he? What happened to him? Was he still alive or... No! If something had happened to him, Legolas would not forgive himself. It was his fault that the enemy could seize them, him and his stupidity.

They had been surrounded by the enemy. There had not only been orcs. He had seen some humans, too. Well, they looked human, but were rather monstrous; wild and very strong.

He must have been hit by one of them from behind. Why was he not being careful enough? Damn! But he knew the answer. The man had been in danger, the one he had adored and worshipped for a long time. How could he not have helped him?

Aragorn was definitely his bittersweet weakness.

Ever since they first met in Rivendell they had spent a lot of time together. Aragorn was cheerful and passionate company and could make everyone laugh or cry with his stories. He had made Legolas' heart pound with something new. Aragorn was so... perfect.

But then...

He pressed his cheek to the cold ground and gritted his teeth. Soon after Legolas had discovered his feelings for the man, Aragorn changed. 'I was no one special to him. Bored him even, probably.' The elf laughed at himself silently until a he drowned his misery into anger as usual.

Something began to burn behind his eyelids. "I hate him!" he fisted his tied up hands behind his back. "I hate him." He could not help the tears from falling. "Aragorn... " he whispered to the darkness.

'…Where are you?'

…**TBC…**


	2. When Things Go Wrong

**A/N: Warning, next chapter contains explicit slash scenes. **

**And again THANK YOU for my beta PH03N1X 50NG for all the precious time spent on me!**

Chapter2

When Things Go Wrong

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Aragorn watched Legolas until night fell. Dried blood covered the small, pointed ears and the man wished he could at least see the elf's face. He tried hard, but could only make out the slightly illuminated fair curls on the dark ground. He tried to speak to Legolas, but the elf would not answer.

'As usual.' But he could not laugh at his own joke.

His elven companion lay eerily still in a cell beside his. The orcs had just thrown him in and left immediately after, not caring whether he lived or died. No. Aragorn immediately banned the horrid idea from his thoughts. Legolas had to be alive, but there was no way he could be sure.

Aragorn shook his head. It was getting darker and colder. 'Elves do not like the darkness.' he sighed.

'Why did he do that?' Aragorn' mind was working frustrated. 'I could have managed them alone. But he just had to jump between me and that bastard!'

The man started to pace from one wall to the other for the umpteenth time.

Did he just imagine that, the little noise coming from the other's direction? Was Legolas awake? He jumped to the bars separating them and listened hard. Surely, it had been only a little whisper, but it could have meant that the elf was alive.

"…hate you." Aragorn could not believe it; relief flooded through him. Legolas was coming to! His blood started to pound into his ears. He would make things better now – he would tell Legolas about his feelings. Perhaps, if luck was on his side, the elf would even understand them. Perhaps he had read his signs wrong and was only a coward to ask. His lips parted to call out to the elf.

"Aragorn..."

His lips stayed open and still. His eyes opened wide. 'I hate you...Aragorn...?' The man felt a sudden weakness in his legs.

How could this be? How could Legolas hate him after all the things he had done for him? After he had protected his life? 'Though, he was unconscious at that time,' Aragorn remembered. And then the bitterness came again.

'Could a man be any more foolish than I?'

It was still nighttime when Legolas heard footsteps approaching. A sharp click cut into the air and rough hands jerked him to his feet. A small groan of pain escaped him when his legs did not quite cooperate.

"Were are you taking him!" a daring voice demanded.

The elf was unbelievable happy to hear Aragorn's voice.

"Aragorn!"

The owner of the rough hands started to laugh. It was a disgusting sound and Legolas could smell the foulness creeping into the air. "Ugh, don't ya worry. We just wanna play a little."

The elf started to struggle, but the rope on his wrist was fastened too tight.

"Stop!" Aragorn protested. "He is injured. Let him be!" But his words were only followed by more muddy laughter. "Take me instead!"

"You will be next, man." the creature lifted Legolas onto his shoulder and walked away.

"No!" Aragorn could not accept that this was happening. Never had he felt so weak and helpless before. He started to pace in his cell again, feeling like a trapped animal in a cage. His hands were fisted, his pulse running faster with every second. 'What are they doing to him?' He hit the wall with all of his strength. "Damn!"

Just as he thought he would go crazy, he heard voices again. His body tensed with anticipation as the darkness faded and an orc came into view, holding a single candle.

"Where did you take him?" Aragorn asked the dirty creature in a low, grim tone. The answer came with a yellow-toothed grin.

"The elf's with our leader. He ordered me to take you as well." Aragorn felt resolve form within him. He could easily beat this one orc, find Legolas, and escape. Yes, he would try it. For Legolas. But the orc seemed to read him well and his grin became even darker. "If you are thinking of harming me or anyone else, your friend will die – probably tortured some before that."

Aragorn's shoulders slumped. There must be a way for them to escape, right? For now, though, he just let the orc lead him out of the filthy prison.

He had to wait until the right opportunity to escape presented itself.

He refused to put Legolas in more danger.

The room to which the orc led him was lit poorly with only a few candles. It did not look as dirty as the rest of this dark place, still quite Spartan. A tall figure stood in one of the corners. "Leave!" he spat at the lingering orc, who hurried away immediately.

"You two dared to intrude upon my territory and killed many of my numbers." The voice was too calm, making Aragorn shiver. "Therefore, I have decided that killing you right now would not satisfy me. You deserve to be taught a lesson."

The door of the room opened again and two orcs dragged in a struggling Legolas. The blood had been cleaned from his face and he no longer looked as weak as he had before.

"Legolas!" Some of the weight on Aragorn's chest seemed to lift.

"What are you waiting for?" the voice from the corner asked. The orcs took the elf promptly, yanking him to the middle of the room, where coarse chains were hanging from the ceiling. Legolas fought against them with all of his strength, but he had no real chance against the other two as he was still suffering from his head injury.

Aragorn moved quickly. One of the orcs soon found himself on the ground, bleeding. The other was not able to put up a long fight either and quickly joined his fellow.

Before Aragorn knew it, however, strong arms c trapped him from behind and a sharp knife was pressed into the flesh of his throat. "You're not fast enough, man," a voice whispered in his ear.

"Elf! If you want your friend to bleed to death right now, keep on fighting us!"

Legolas stilled reluctantly. Agony was clear on his face as he let his hands be bound tightly over his head.

"You damn bastard!" growled Aragorn behind clutched teeth.

A chuckle was the answer. "Now we can play..."

…**TBC…**


	3. Sweet Humiliation

**A/N: As the chapter was replaced, I am putting previous a/n at the end. **

******PH03N1X 50NG** THANK YOU for keeping up the good work as my beta! 

**Warning: **erotic slash scenes

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Chapter 3

Sweet Humiliation

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The orcs left the room, leaving the three of them alone. The knife pressed even tighter against Aragorn's throat. It drew some blood and the man hissed at the pain; however he steeled himself for the elf's sake. To his surprise, the knife disappeared and he was shoved forward. He stumbled awkwardly for a few steps before regaining his balance and spinning around to face his attacker.

He was standing face to face with another man. The stranger was tall, strong muscled, and radiated nothing but raw toughness. His eyes were intense and knowing. They studied every expression on Aragorn's face and every twitch of his body. Aragorn suddenly became uncertain about his plan – he knew danger when he saw it. He could not attack this man directly without a weapon; he would never be able to beat him.

"Who are you?" Aragorn's voice did not tremble, but he did not feel like he was the master of the situation.

"My name is Worgoth. I am leader of the creatures you are afraid of when night falls. This is my territory you intruded upon." He slowly lifted the knife to his lips and licked Aragorn's blood. "You taste sweet." He showed a little smirk but his eyes stayed cold and wakeful. "But your elf friend will taste even sweeter." With this, he slowly started to walk toward Legolas.

Aragorn became alarmed. 'It might mean my death, but I will never let him touch Legolas!'

In a frantic effort, he threw himself at the leader from behind, only to find himself gasping for breath as a hard fist connected with his stomach. He never had a chance to curl into himself in misery, however, for the other man grabbed his tunic and lifted him into the air. Upon opening his eyes, his pained gaze met an annoyed one.

"I see you will not let me play this game like I wanted to." Worgoth dropped Aragorn, irritated. "Well, I might have known," he added, smiling cruelly. "I think I will have to change my plans." He fetched a chair from the corner of the room and moved it closer to his captives before making himself comfortable.

Aragorn painfully rose to his feet. "I will not let you harm him!" he warned. He looked pitiful and weak, grasping at his aching stomach hit.

"It's not like you could go against me." Worgoth stated simply, and Aragorn already knew they would not get off easy. "You will do it."

Aragorn was shocked. 'What does he want me to do? I definitely will not do anything to harm Legolas. But I cannot do much if he decided to do it after I get myself killed. Damn!'

Worgoth meant business and Aragorn's evident reluctance did not seem to sway him. "You will do what I want or I will call my orcs to give you a hand. They would love to taste the flesh of a young beauty like your companion. You cannot accuse me of not giving you a choice."

Aragorn fisted his hands. 'I cannot win against him! Why am I so helpless? How can I put an end this nightmare? I have to win some time and think – come up with something. But will it make any difference if I play along for now?'

"And what do you want me to do exactly?" he asked without any emotion in his voice. Worgoth brightened up.

It was the mock of somebody who could carry his point.

"Good boy." Aragorn winced slightly at this, but managed to keep the sharp retort to himself. "You do not have to harm him. I want you to make him moan. And beg." Aragorn narrowed his eyes. "You can start with those pretty lips of his." Worgoth suggested.

The air in the room went very still. Legolas felt sweat form on his forehead as Aragorn walked towards him. His pulse quickened and blood rushed to his cheeks. When the man was standing before him, he instinctively tugged on his bindings and leaned away.

'I don't want this! Not like this. Not if he is just doing it because was been ordered to.' Legolas felt despair and shame overcome him as Aragorn's face lowered to his.

Aragorn was taken aback by Legolas' pained expression. He wanted anything but to hurt him. And the very last thing he wanted was to be the cause of the elf's humiliation. 'If only he did not hate me!' He felt Legolas wince and close his eyes as Aragorn found his lips. 'He feels even disgusted to touch me. What wrong have I ever done him?'

He ever so slowly moved his lips against the elf's; savoring every caress, then finally, he reluctantly moved away. Legolas' eyes held a swirl of intense emotions that clutched at Aragorn's heart.

"That was nothing. Do it properly!" Worgoth commanded. "Elves like to be victims," he added with a smirk. Aragorn had no choice but to obey. Or did he?

Legolas felt the warm mouth press to his again, this time more demanding. He let a hot tongue slip inside and felt ashamed as a jolt of arousal stirred within him. 'Do elves really like to be victims?' He was wondering as the man explored every part of his mouth. He could not help but enjoy the treatment, but, like the first time, Aragorn moved away too soon.

"Why did you cut it so short?" the deep voice of the hated man sounded again. "If I did not know any better, I'd think you were both not enjoying this." He rolled his eyes and made himself more comfortable on the chair."Now, do not be so shy. Go on. I said I wanted him to moan. Either you make him moan from pleasure or I make him moan from pain. Which do you want?"

Aragorn growled in defeat. He had to do it. 'If only I did not enjoy it so much.' His mouth sought out Legolas again, desperately fighting the tightening of his pants as he took the elf by the hips. He slid his hands under the fabric of Legolas' tunic, his fingertips exploring inch by inch. Finding the smoothness and hard curves irresistible, he started to caress the soft skin more slowly.

He searched for every sign Legolas would give him to stop. To his surprise, however, the elf was not going tense under his touch, not even when the man found a nipple and started to circle around it. The elf seemed to relax even, hisbody leaning into his caress.

Legolas arched his back, moaning when his hardened nipple was pinched, gently. Aragorn was losing his hardly maintained control when the elf bucked towards him and their bodies slid together.

Hot. Hard. And a perfect match.

Legolas' eyes shot open when he felt Aragorn's hardness press against his belly. He moaned as one of the man's hands slid southward, cupping his backside gently, while the other found his way into the elf's hair, bringing them even closer and deepening their kiss.

"That is better." Judging by Worgoth's tone, he was enjoying the show they presented. "Undress him."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Aragorn felt slightly guilty as he found he was more than willing to do so. He managed to open the elf's tunic and caressed the already excited skin, fingertips travelling from the smooth chest down to the flat and tight belly. He undid Legolas' pants next, allowing them to slide down to the elf's knees.

Legolas was standing there, bared almost naked. His body showed the obvious signs of need. Aragorn looked at him, like it was the first time he realized how beautiful the elf was, before claiming those kiss-swollen lips again.

"That is it." Worgoth's voice reached the two from a foggy distance. "I knew you would be lovebirds – from the first moment."

What the other man said did not matter to Aragorn anymore. He felt only Legolas' hot breath mix with his own and the hardened body press against his. 'He is mine now. If only for a short moment, but I can feel him and touch him.' In his blinding pleasure, he slid a foot between the elf's, took hold of his buttocks and started to rock Legolas against him.

Legolas was in heaven or he thought he would reach there soon enough. Strange sounds were leaving his lips, all swallowed by Aragorn, hungrily. The man started to rock him slower and Legolas gasped in protest, trying to accelerate the speed. He tugged on his bindings and his body started to wriggle in sweet desperation; Aragorn seemed to be turned on even more by this.

"Enough!" Worgoth's order sounded loud and it took no denial. He stood up and walked to the two.

Lips parted, breathing heavily, they looked at each other as if for the first time. Legolas felt frustrated and full of shame. He was also painfully erect and completely obvious to this embarrassing fact now that he did not feel the man's body covering his. So close… he was so close…

"Now the time has come for you to beg, elf." Legolas' eyes widened. He did not know what to say, did not even understand what their captor meant. "Beg him to stop or to go on!" Worgoth added with an amused look.

Aragorn could not stand Legolas' expression to that. "Why are you doing this to him? He does not deserve this kind of humiliation. This was enough!"

"It is a natural hate against elves," Worgoth stated simply as he watched Legolas' face. "Now do it! Beg!" he ordered the elf.

But Legolas was not going to beg for something like that. He just stood there quietly and proudly even in his disgrace. "So this is what you have decided." Worgoth touched Legolas' chest, but also sent a warning look to Aragorn. His hands slid to the elf's stomach, circling around it teasingly. "Your friend would deserve relief, elf." he added, his hand sliding lower.

Legolas sucked in a shivering breath. He could not help it; in his overly sensitive state every little simulation caused a reaction. "I bet he is almost as hot as you are right now," Worgoth went on. "When you were unconscious..." Worgoth paused to look into the elf's eyes.

Legolas tried hard to concentrate only on the man's words and not the physical teasing, but the hand on his body found his arousal and squeezed it. He cried out, eyes rolling back.

"...your _friend_ here said he would stop fighting – if we let you live." Worgoth smirked again. "And so you stayed alive." He shook his head and muttered to himself. "For an _elf_..." For a short moment he almost looked nostalgic, but the sadness quickly disappeared and hardness and passionate hatred took its place.

"I have not heard you beg yet, _elf_."

But Legolas would never give this to him.

Worgoth's patience was coming to an end. Aragorn's body was ready to move, probably to do something stupid – to do _anything_ at that very moment.

The room was thick with unease as he waited for Worgoth's next move.

The cracking sound of the opening door made them snap out of the pressing tension.

…**TBC…**

…**..**

**Old a/n: **

**crazyrabidfangurl**: thank you for your reviews! I wanted to answer your question, your e-mail address however is not valid (and your mind IS dirty, but so is mine… .)

**rogue641**: I'm really trying to do my best by that matter of updating-speed

**KCEstel**: Aragorn wasn't raised by Elrond here, he's just a great swordsman and leader, who gained respekt on his own

**viggomaniac**: I guess curse words are indeed un-Tolkien-ish, sorry if I made you feel this way. It's just that I don't know how to use imitative words like grr or something alike to describe the ugliness of 'things'. But I guess there will be less of them from now on! Promise! '


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